


Wind

by BobaBunnies



Category: Dance Central (Games)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Dancing, Death, Depression, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, No Romance, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27702146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BobaBunnies/pseuds/BobaBunnies
Summary: The unexpected death of his mentor leaves the young protégé in tempestuous melancholy. He descends deeper and deeper into a pit of darkness and solitude, losing more pieces of himself each day. Extinguishing all glimpses of light.But... One letter may save his life.Will the other dancers be able to reignite a pathway to euphoria and save him from hitting the ground, or will depression win this battle?⚠TRIGGER WARNING: depression and suicidal thoughts are expressed in this story⚠
Kudos: 20





	1. Tempest

Speckled lights of the celestial body broke through the darkening sky, indicating an end to the day’s hours of sunlight. Luminescent, the stars twinkled brightly around a waxing gibbous that gleamed its white light upon the dusky neighborhood.

Glitch, eyes sore and glowing a bright shade of red, gazed up at the sea of stars in wonder. They strengthened their light as if communicating with him. Better yet, they laughed at him. Taunted him, reminding him of the proud smile on his mentor’s face whenever the protégé successfully struck a dance move.

Reminding him that it was all his fault.

He tore his gaze away from the haunting sight, where his elbows rested on the black fabric of his dress pants that matched his suit. His knees grew numb from the immense weight of his elbows digging into them as if attempting to snap his legs in half. Both of his hands curled into tight fists, blanching his knuckles a ghoulish tint as his nails pierced deeply into the soft flesh of his palms.

The pain was hypnotizing. It was addicting. And he deserved every ounce of it.

It had been one week since Mo left this world. Seven torturous days full of reminders that it was all because of him. Every thought of Mo only fed the burdensome sorrow that dismantled him piece by piece from within.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to break down right there on the front porch of the family home. But was he even allowed to shed tears for this irreparable horror he had caused?

Even if he were allowed to, he wasn't sure he could even. He had already drained his eyes of any tears he had left.

A male voice sounded from behind him, breaking him out of his sour thoughts. At least for now, though.

“Oh, there you are. I thought you already left.”

Even above his loud thoughts, Glitch could sense pain in that tremulous voice. Something he has never heard in this particular man’s voice before.

The young dancer straightened his posture and loosened his curled fingers. He glanced down at his palms, where light red crescent moons had emerged on their surface, just barely breaking blood. Glitch rubbed his watery eyes and looked over his shoulder to face this visitor.

A tall man with light blond hair stood underneath the porch light with a black suit and tie hugging his body. The man rubbed his eyes on his sleeve before stepping up to Glitch. The younger dancer shifted his gaze to the light concrete beneath his feet.

Bodie frowned and kneeled down next to the young teenager. He extended a hand towards him, but quickly drew it back. He found it best not to invade Glitch’s personal space, especially at such a time like this.

“You know, Mo wouldn’t want you to blame yourself like this,” Bodie attempted to reassure him.

Glitch remained silent. He shifted himself ever so slightly to find a more comfortable position. The Korean boy brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, still avoiding eye contact with the older dancer.

“Glitch, it’s really not your fault,” Bodie said, “We一”

“It is!” Glitch interjected, finally snapping his head towards the blond, “It’s because of me that he… I… If I never…”

Warm tears scalded his eyes and cut off his initial speech. Glitch wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his suit. His jaw clenched tightly, like it could break any moment. His head ached and pounded on both sides from attempting to fight those tears back. 

He didn’t have a right to cry. But, at least he knew he still had tears left.

The door clicked from the front of the house, followed by soft and sorrowful chatters. The voices of Mo’s parents mixed in with the other voices, bringing guilt and shame to the young dancer. He had caused them pain, along with everyone else at DCI.

A finger tapped lightly on Bodie’s shoulder. The blond dancer looked up to see his dance partner standing above him in a black dress. Behind her, the thin crowd of visitors all dressed in the gloomy color of black exited the house to go on with their night.

No words were needed. Bodie knew what she was trying to tell him. Sighing, the tall dancer rose to his feet. He held his hand out to Glitch with his palm facing upwards. The young boy stared down at the dancer’s hand, examining the trio of curved lines naturally embedded into his skin. Extending from one side of his palm to the other.

“We can take you home if you want,” Bodie offered.

Glitch shook his head back and forth. Drying his eyes one last time, the Korean boy stood up, leaving Bodie’s hand hovering emptily in midair. He didn’t dare look at the pair of dancers as he took a step forward.

“I can walk,” Glitch mumbled, “It’s not that far.”

That was a lie, though. He had to take the subway to get here. Of course, he could just take the subway back, but he dreaded going back to that house and wanted to elongate the time it would take to arrive. Without Mo’s presence, nothing was the same anymore. And, he did not want to remember the last interaction they had with each other.

“Are you sure?” Emilia asked, “It’s dangerous at nighttime.”

Glitch wordlessly took off walking, leaving their question unanswered. Or, rather, his actions answered for them. Bodie and Emilia watched the young boy in concern. His small figure stepped off the driveway and continued down the sidewalk, growing smaller as the distance between them expanded.

He knew it was dangerous at nighttime, that’s exactly why he didn’t mind walking the distance back home (if it was even home anymore). Maybe he could get ambushed by a gang or get hit by a car driving thirty miles over the speed limit. After all, it was not uncommon for cars to drive fast late at night.

Besides, his dark clothing blended in with the night.

Emilia looked at her dance partner, who reciprocated her gaze. It was then that Bodie noticed the white envelope in her hands. A certain name had been engraved on its surface in green ink. Glitch’s name to be exact.

“Mo wrote this last year when he first recruited Glitch for his crew,” Emilia explained, “He… He told me to give it to Glitch if he ever… You know…”

Bodie drew his eyes back ahead of him, where Glitch’s figure had already disappeared into the darkness of the night. The cars in front of the house roared to life as their blinding headlights flickered on. The crowd of vehicles thinned out one by one, leaving Bodie and Emilia underneath the yellow light of the front porch. Bodie reached his hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around his keys.

“Let’s wait on that,” Bodie suggested, “The kid doesn’t look too good.”

~

The clock already read half past midnight by the time he arrived. Glitch closed the door behind him, not bothering to lock it. He could care less if a burglar broke in and threatened him at gunpoint. As a matter of fact, he would just laugh and tell his attacker to pull the trigger if that were to happen. Why should he be scared of something he wanted so badly?

The kitchen shined cleanly as if this were a newly built home and he was the first resident. Mo would have been proud of how spotless it looked. But it wasn’t like Glitch ever had to use the kitchen anyways. Food just didn’t seem like a necessity anymore, and the thought of eating only disgusted him.

Mo’s skateboard sat perched against the wall of the living room. A faded dark red stain absorbed into the rough, black material of its surface. The stain that will forever haunt him day and night. The one that never failed to dig out his last memories of Mo as if it were a curse he had to bear with for eternity.

_Glitch arrived home after yet another long day at school, expecting to be greeted by Mo. However, to his dismay, his dance partner was nowhere to be seen. Probably must have gone out with friends. Glitch dug his phone out of his pocket. Normally, Mo would have sent him a text message if he were to head out. But this time, his screen appeared to be free of Mo’s contact name._

_Though, now that he thought about it, Mo has been acting rather wonky for the past month or two. Glitch would catch him fidgeting here and there, almost as if he were hiding a dead body in his room. Whenever Glitch asked, he would just mention something about Taye. But Glitch knew it was more than that._

_Now that he had the house to himself, he might as well attempt to uncover Mo’s little secret. Glitch slid his backpack off his shoulders and tossed it onto the couch. He made his way to the nearest bedroom_ 一 _Mo’s room. He poked his head through the doorway, where his mentor’s phone lied flat on his desk._

_Well, that explained why he hadn’t notified him about his absence._

_Glitch took a careful glance at the front door of the house. With the coast clear, he pushed the bedroom door open all the way. This mobile device called out to him, drawing him closer to it as if it were some sort of mind controller. Such a device did hold so many secrets after all. Maybe it held the answer Glitch was seeking._

_Glitch fetched his own phone out of his pocket and allowed his thumbs to get to work. Breaking into Mo’s phone (or anyone's phone) served no obstacle for him, thankfully. He made it through the lockscreen in no time, giving him access to whatever Mo looked at all day. Glitch placed his phone on the table and switched it out for Mo’s now-unlocked device._

_His text messages didn’t seem too important right now, as tempting as they may be to take a snoop at. Besides, he wasn’t here to eavesdrop on Mo’s conversations. If anything, he was probably just flirting with Taye._

_Glitch opened up the browser, where a rather familiar web page full of pictures and white spaces popped up. He scrolled downwards on the screen to gather more information. His eyebrows curled into upward arches at the sight that lied before him._

_Profiles. Specifically, his parents, whom he had been separated from for as long as he could remember. Whom he had been dying to know more about, but never quite managed to find his desired information. He hardly even remembered their faces, but those strikingly familiar green eyes on a raven-haired woman gave it all away._

_He scrolled further down the screen, which held valuable information ranging from the names of his parents, their birth dates, hometowns, and all that._

_But why was Mo looking at this? What did he need this information for?_

_More so, how did he find this information in the first place? Glitch was the tech whiz here, yet he's never even been able to find pictures of his parents._

_Glitch’s horde of roaming questions remained unanswered when the voice of his dance partner alarmed him from behind._

_“Glitch? Why are you in my room?”_

_Panic arose within him as Glitch jumped around to face this interruption head-on. Mo’s eyes landed on his phone, which rested in the protégé’s hand. A whirlwind of emotions surged through the younger dancer the longer he looked at his mentor. Anger, fear, and a combination of other emotions that probably didn’t even have words for. But they weren’t pretty ones, that’s for sure._

_“Did you look through my phone?” Mo asked with his voice heavy in annoyance._

_Mo stepped up to his protégé. He reached out to grab his phone, but Glitch tucked it behind his small back, keeping it out of Mo's reach. His fingers tightened around the hard frame, desperate to receive an explanation as to what he had seen on this device._

_“Explain,” Glitch demanded._

_“Explain what?” Mo drew his hand back, “I think you’re the one who needs to explain yourself, Youngin. You know damn well not to invade my privacy here.”_

_Deep down, Glitch really did feel ashamed for his actions. But, unfortunately, his feelings of rage overpowered his guilt. And it demanded an answer to his overflowing questions._

_“My parents,” Glitch raised his voice ever so slightly, “Why and how do you have information on my parents?”_

_Mo’s expression fell blank. His stomach twisted and curled into irregular shapes that cramped painfully on both sides of his body. He knew he’d have to tell Glitch about this someday, but this wasn’t how he’d expected it to go down. Nor was he ready to confess just yet._

_The truth would only tear the young boy apart._

_“Look, I know you’re angry with me and you wanna know more about them,” Mo began as calmly as he could muster, “But can we have this conversation when you’re not upset?”_

_That suggestion only fed the boiling anger that crescendoed through him like a raging tempest. Glitch's fingers clenched so tightly around his mentor's phone that his entire hand palpitated violently._

_“I have a right to know!” Glitch snapped._

_Mo sighed heavily, “Look, kid. I一”_

_“Tell me,” Glitch commanded, “I'm not giving you your phone back until you tell me.”_

_Glitch's eyes stared him down, eyebrows slanted into steep, downward slopes. They read nothing but pure fury and pierced through him like a pair of honed blades, something he had never seen in those forest green eyes before. Sure, he had seen him angry a few times, but this was… Different._

_Mo knew it would just add to his anger if he stayed silent any longer. Thus, he practically had no choice but to speak up._

_Mo slid his hands into his jean pockets. He shot his head to the side, eyeing his wall of posters pasted beside his bed._

_“I… I found your parents' whereabouts,” Mo confessed under his breath._

_Silence fell upon the room the second those words left Mo's lips. Glitch's eyes gradually expanded to the size of dinner plates like water balloons being filled. As if it were even possible, his hand that constrained Mo's phone intensified its palpitations._

_“You… You what?”_

_No words in the English language could possibly describe Glitch's emotions. He had spent years searching for his parents, but all he could ever find was useless information no matter how deeply he searched the web. And yet, Mo had already uncovered what he was seeking?_

_“Now, let me explain,” Mo's volume returned to normal as he looked back at Glitch, “They一”_

_"How long have you been keeping this from me?" Glitch interrogated._

_“Glitch_ 一”

_“You could have told me. Or helped me. Anything other than what you did!”_

_“Look一”_

_“You know how important this is to me, Mo!” Glitch exclaimed, “I_ 一 _”_

_“Glitch, listen to me!” Mo yelled in annoyance, “Why can't you just let me speak for one second?”_

_“Why can't_ **_you_ ** _just man up and tell me about this earlier?" Glitch retaliated, "I could have一”_

_“They abandoned you, okay?” Mo shouted, “They don't want you anymore! Why do you think you were left alone at the subway station for… Who the hell knows how long?”_

_And just like that, the silence that filled the room earlier returned for this very moment. Not even the crickets chirped their tune in this empty void. Those last words that Mo had said lingered thinly in the air, remaining an echo against Glitch’s eardrums._

_Slowly but surely, his eyebrows broke out of their slanted state. The burning rage extinguished from his eyes and was replaced by a look of pain. The look of a young teenager being torn apart carbon by carbon from the inside out. Of a child who had been stripped of his childhood._

_The verdant orbs of his irises twitched inside his white sclerae, as if he were on the brink of tears. At that moment, Mo wished he had kept his mouth shut or at least worded it better. At the same time, things would have gotten worse if he didn’t tell him the truth. So, either way, things were destined to go downhill._

_Finally, Glitch’s fingers loosened around the frame of Mo’s phone, allowing the mobile device to fall back onto the desk behind him. Mo’s face read sympathy as he took a small step closer to the distressed teenager._

_“I’m sorry, Glitch,” Mo lowered his voice, “But_ 一 _”_

_“Just stop talking,” Glitch muttered in a tremulous and brittle tone, “I… I’ve heard enough.”_

_Mo’s lips curled downwards into a steep frown. He reached his hand out towards the protégé, only for Glitch’s own hand to slap it away. Dipping his head downwards, Glitch shoved past his mentor and sprinted out of the room at the speed of a bullet. Panic rose within Mo as he followed after him._

_“Glitch! Come back here!” Mo called after him from the doorway, “Glitch!”_

_Too late. The young dancer had already exited through the front door of the house. He slammed the door behind him so hard that the entire house trembled from his aggressive use of force. He could have torn down the doorway had he added more strength._

_Mo stood in the middle of the hallway with his hands clenched into fists on either side of him. Their previous conversation ripped him to shreds from within, replaying in his head over and over like his favorite dance routine on repeat._

_Only, this was no dance. Nor was it his favorite. But if it was a dance, it was one he never wanted to perform again._

_Though, Glitch knew he had a curfew. Mo hoped with every inch of his being that Glitch just needed time to sort out his feelings, that the kid would come back in a couple hours. He couldn’t blame him for being upset._

_After all, nobody wanted to be told that they were unwanted._

***

_Two hours past curfew, and there was still no sign of the kid. It was beginning to get dark and chilly out, a dangerous time for someone his age. Glitch left his phone here, so Mo had no way of getting into contact with him._

_Worry consumed him as Mo reached for his own phone. He tapped on Lil’ T’s contact name and brought his phone up, where the mobile device vibrated against his hand and ear. The fingers of his free hand drummed anxiously upon the kitchen counter as he waited for the little girl’s voice to answer the phone._

_“Hello?”_

_“Hey, have you seen Glitch at all today?” Mo asked, “He doesn’t have his phone on him, so I can’t call him.”_

_And the kid probably didn’t want to speak with him right now, anyways. He would just get sent straight to voicemail if he even tried._

_“Well, I saw him at the park a couple hours ago if that counts,” the young girl answered, “He didn’t look too happy, though, so I left him alone.”_

_Mo perked up with hope surging through him, “Do you know where he is now?”_

_“Nope. Sorry, Mo,” Lil’ T sighed, “By the way, did something happen? I’ve never seen Glitch like this before. And if you're calling me asking where he is, something's definitely up.”_

_Mo silenced the rhythm of his fingers, which he hadn’t realized were still tapping. His fingers slowly curled inward, collecting into the palm of his hand. His chest sank and disintegrated into his stomach acid just from remembering the day’s earlier events._

_“I don’t really want to talk about it right now,” Mo replied silently, “But thanks anyways. I’ll ask the others if they’ve seen him. Tell your sister she still owes me a date.”_

_His voice showed no flirtatious hint like it usually did. Rather, it sounded emotionless and empty. Like the electronically programmed voice of an android. Lil’ T’s voice spoke as he took the phone off his ear, but he ended the call before he could even take in her words. Mo proceeded to scroll through his contacts, calling every dancer and repeating the same question over and over again in hopes that Glitch was safe with one of them._

_Ill-fatedly, he had received the same negative answer from everyone. His partner’s whereabouts remained unknown. Cursing under his breath, Mo ended the last call he was on. He stood up from the kitchen counter and shoved his phone inside his pocket. Guess he had no choice but to find the kid himself._

_Mo stuffed his house keys in his other pocket and fetched a flashlight from the counter. With his skateboard underneath his arm, the dancer took off on what he never knew would be his final night underneath the stars before he became one with them._


	2. Thunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⚠Content Warning: bloodshed⚠

"Hey, Mo. Am I allowed to cry for you?"

Tears blurred his vision as Glitch stared blankly at the black words embedded into the stone in front of him. The bold letters jumped out at him, nothing but fuzzy blobs against the tears that brimmed along the shining surface of his eyes. The tears that he refused to let fall down his face.

Wind, gentle as the touch of a newborn, ruffled through his purple-dyed locks that hadn't been combed in ages. Black and violet strands frizzed out in numerous places from the low effort he placed into slicking his hair up into a faux hawk today. It looked more like a hawk's nest if anything.

"Silence is an answer," Glitch wiped his water-filled eyes on the sleeve of his purple shirt, "So your answer must be no, right?"

His hands lowered to the ground, resting in front of his crossed legs. Glitch clenched his fingers around the thin grass blades underneath them. Goosebumps speckled on the surface of his pale skin as the chilly, mid-autumn breeze brushed against his exposed forearms.

"By the way, do you remember _Romeo and_ _Juliet_ _?_ You know, those folks who killed themselves because they couldn't live without each other and you said they were stupid?" Glitch asked, "Well... What if this were the same thing? But like, in a friend way? I'm Romeo and you're Juliet一unless you wanna be Romeo and I'll be..."

Glitch's voice trailed off into a silent pause. His eyes fell downwards, drawing from the gravestone to his fists buried in dark green grass. The black watch on his left wrist shouted at him to get up and go to headquarters already, but his legs told him otherwise. They wanted to stay there with the one person who served as his source of comfort for years.

"...Juliet," Glitch finished in a mumble, "After all, you can't spell Romeo without Mo."

He mentally laughed at how ridiculous he must look right now. A random teenager with messy hair speaking to an inanimate object about Shakespeare's famous tragedy. How pathetic, really.

Glitch tugged on the tiny blades, tearing them out of their soil in thin chunks. The nail marks embedded into his palm burned and stung as the grass blades slid against them. His teeth clamped down around his bottom lip while the searing pain in his hands intensified.

Glitch moved his hands to his lap. Small specks of light brown dirt caked along the upper region of his palms, thankfully missing the rows of nail marks that he imprinted last night during the memorial service. He shifted his gaze back up, where they landed on the dreaded name of his mentor. His heavy chest sank deeper and deeper inside his body, breaking through the ground and melting into Earth's crust.

The longer he stared at these letters, the more it tore him to shreds. Like a thousand knives impaling through his chest.

"Do you forgive me, Mo?" Glitch asked quietly, "For... For causing all of this?"

Dead silence came into the void, save for the rustling of trees in the near distance. His short strands of raven hair rode the breeze like a sailboat, swaying back and forth like the trees. Glitch tilted his head downwards. His head hung limply as his insides disintegrated into nothing.

"I'll take that as a no," Glitch answered to himself, "Silence means no, after all."

He sniffed back the tears that threatened to flow freely once again. God, why did they keep on coming? Haven't they gotten the hint that he wouldn't free them no matter how much they begged?

A patch of warmth absorbed into the sleeve of his right shoulder, followed by an unusually close and familiar presence. Like something一or _someone一_ had appeared directly behind him.

He didn't bother checking who, though. He was too busy falling apart to even care.

~

Glitch arrived at headquarters with a pair of earbuds hanging from his ears, muting out all outside noises with his playlist. In the corner, a number of agents circled around Taye, who had trails of pitch black mascara running down her cheeks. Her chest hitched visibly, and her sobs must have been audible had Glitch not placed his earbuds in. The agents surrounding her rubbed her back as she swiped a tissue across her makeup-stained cheeks.

Glitch had never seen Taye in such a state of distress before, and seeing her in tears only fed to the weight he carried on his shoulders everyday. Pretty soon, he wouldn't be able to hold such weight any longer if his days keep going on like this.

Fortunately for him, nobody seemed to acknowledge his presence. Not yet at least. But, perhaps this was the closest he would feel to being nonexistent.

He really wished he could cease to exist. Perhaps that would be better for both him and everyone else. No more pain, guilt, or cursed memories.

He could be free and disappear like the wind.

On the other side of the room, Bodie and Emilia eyed Glitch's distressed figure, watching as he dragged his feet along the floor. He strode like a zombie and showed no hint of emotions. No hint of the chirpy and enthusiastic kid they were used to seeing. Rather, what they saw today was the cracked and hollow shell of the boy he once was.

What they saw today was a completely different person.

Emilia reached a hand towards her purse, but stopped when Bodie's hand clamped around her wrist. Her eyes traveled to his face. The blond dancer shook his head, knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Giving him the letter right now would only remind the poor kid of his mentor and possibly send him spiraling deeper into a dark pit.

There was a perfect time for everything, and now was not it.

Glitch wordlessly took a seat in the lounge room. The room stood uncomfortably silent today. Though, he wasn't sure whether his music drowned it out, or it really was quiet because of Mo's absence. Most likely both, because him and Mo were usually the ones making noise and bringing laughter to the room.

Glitch stared blankly at the floor between his black shoes. Loud music flooded his world as memories pounded through his head for the one millionth time. The memories of how everything fell apart, the ones that will haunt him for as long as he lived.

_The grueling weight of regret pulled down on him as he took slow, ponderous footsteps in the direction of his house. Streetlights ignited the concrete path ahead of him, giving way to his desired destination._

_An icy breeze brushed right past_ _him_ _and wracked his body in shivers. Glitch hugged his arms around his body in desperation of keeping himself warm on this cold night. How stupid was he to go out without a jacket during this time of year?_

 _Additionally_ _,_ _he_ _had_ _no_ _way_ _to_ _keep_ _track_ _of_ _time_ _._ _For_ _all_ _he_ _knew_ _,_ _it_ _was_ _already_ _way_ _past_ _curfew_ _._ _Perhaps_ _it_ _was_ _even beyond_ _the_ _legal_ _hour_ _for_ _a_ _minor_ _to_ _be_ _out_ _alone_ _._

_Luckily, home was just around the corner. The second he opened that door, he was ready to attack Mo with the apology he had been rehearsing in his head for the past hour. Maybe even give him a hug一a real hug, not just one of their bro hugs they often exchanged. An embrace full of the warmth he never got to feel from his biological family._

_Because, really, Mo was his family. He was the only memory he had of a family in the first place._

_A family is someone who cares deeply for you, who accepts you for who you are. One who makes you feel safety and comfort. And that's what Mo is to him._

_A shadow-like figure brushed against his vision from a distance. Glitch's feet came to a stop. He looked straight ahead, where a tall figure dashed down the street on a fast-moving skateboard. A loose jacket flowed behind them like a cape riding in the breeze._

_Glitch's eyes sparkled at the sight. It was his dance partner, no doubt about it. Moving at a speed that could rival even that of light, Glitch bolted into a sprint. He tore down the illuminated sidewalk, dashing past the long row of houses in a blurry motion. His heart pounded in his ear, pulsating painfully at a rapid tempo. Like they could pop right out at any given moment._

_But that was the least of his concerns. He just needed to reach Mo. God, he had never run so fast in his life!_

_Glitch finally reached the corner and took a right turn. However, the light in his eyes diminished as the unpleasant sound of screeching tires and bone-chilling car horns vibrated against his eardrums._

_His feet slowed down their sprinting. His heartbeat picked up its pace, pounding against the interior of his chest as if it were a wild animal trying to break free from its cage. His lungs burned tremendously from his previous sprint, but the overwhelming sights that stood before him tore his attention away from the flame in his lungs._

_Glitch scanned the scene in front of him. Two cars laid wrecked in the middle of the street with a thick, black haze rising into the nighttime air. Mo's skateboard lay discarded near the sidewalk with a pool of blood underneath it. A tangy and metallic odor radiated from the scene, entering his nostrils uninvited._

_Not far from the skateboard laid Mo's limp and unmoving body._

_Glitch stood with his eyes widened in terror and his body emitting tremendous palpitations. Tears built up and brimmed along the edges of his eyes, blurring out the scarlet river that flowed along the street. Appearing as if it were an image of spilled red paint that had been taken on an old and shaky phone camera._

_"_ _Mo_ _!"_

_Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Glitch scurried down the street as if he could care less about being hit by a car. Not that that was a lie, though._

_Glitch knelt down next to his mentor, who laid on his back with blood running underneath his body. A red stain absorbed through his multicolored shirt from the side of his waist, no doubt the source of his bleeding. Mo's eyes remained closed even in the presence of his protégé._

_Glitch gulped down a thick lump in his throat. He pressed his bare hand onto the wound in desperation of stopping the blood flow._

" _Mo,_ _I'm_ _... I'm here," the protégé whimpered in a shaky voice, "O-Open your eyes._ _"_

 _Still, Mo gave no response. No movement._ _An everlasting river of t_ _ears_ _escaped_ _mercilessly_ _from_ _Glitch's_ _eyes as he looked_ _his_ _mentor_ _in_ _the_ _face. Deep red blood covered Glitch's hand and absorbed into the fabric of his_ _clothing_ _the_ _longer_ _he_ _remained_ _in_ _place._ _However, n_ _o_ _matter_ _how_ _much_ _pressure_ _he_ _placed_ _on_ _the_ _wound_ _,_ _the_ _red_ _river_ _just_ _kept_ _growing_ _._

 _Sirens cried out in the_ _distance_. _Glitch_ _grinded_ _his_ _teeth_ _against_ _each_ _other_ _. Warm_ _tears_ _dripped from_ _his_ _clenched_ _jaw_ _, l_ _ike_ _water_ _dripping_ _from_ _a_ _faucet_ _that_ _had_ _been_ _recently_ _turned_ _off_ _._

" _Come on! We... We have to go home!" Glitch's voice cracked mid-shout._

 _Again, no response. Glitch tilted his head downwards. His disheartened sobs mixed in with the_ _unpleasantly_ _chaotic wailing of nearby sirens._

" _Do you hear that?" Glitch whispered_ _through_ _tears, "Help is here. Just... Just hang in there a little longer. You're gonna be_ _okay_ _._ _We'll_ _go_ _home_ _together._ _"_

 _Oh_ _,_ _how_ _he_ _wished_ _those_ _words_ _were_ _true_ _._ _Unfortunately_ _,_ _all_ _he_ _did_ _was_ _give_ _himself_ _a glimpse false_ _hope_ _._

 _Mo_ _was_ _already_ _beyond_ _saving_ _._ _He_ _knew_ _it_ _deep_ _down_ _,_ _but_ _the_ _main_ _part_ _of_ _him_ _wanted_ _to_ _believe_ _otherwise_ _._

 _A deep male voice shouted from behind him. However, Glitch's legs refused to leave Mo's side._ _He was l_ _ike_ _a_ _loyal_ _dog_ _yearning_ _to_ _stay_ _with_ _his_ _owner_ _until_ _the_ _very_ _end_ _._

" _Get out of the way!_ _"_

 _Glitch_ _had no time to react before a_ _hand wrapped around his elbow. In one swift motion, the young protégé was torn away from his mentor. Glitch's feet stumbled to regain their balance. Paramedics crowded into the scene, surrounding Mo's unmoving body and blocking Glitch's view. All around him, polychromatic lights blinded his eyes as they flashed before him._

_So much was happening right now. Wailing sirens, frantic voices, blinding lights, Mo's body..._

_And blood. So much blood. This entire thing looked like it came straight out of a massacre._

_He hoped and prayed that this was all just a nightmare. That Mo would come in and wake him up soon, telling him he was going to be late for school if he didn't get his little ass out of bed._

_He couldn't lose the only family he had._

_Glitch made an attempt to run back to his mentor's side,_ _as_ _if_ _reaching_ _him_ _could_ _bring_ _him_ _back_ _. A trio of male police officers_ _dressed_ _in_ _black_ _uniforms stepped before him. The young boy's feet halted directly in front of this wall of authorities._

_"Let me through!" Glitch begged, "Please!"_

_"You shouldn't be out alone this late at night," one officer informed him, ignoring his request, "Where are your parents?"_

_Glitch peeked over the officers' shoulders to catch a glimpse of the scene. Paramedics have already begun rolling the limp body_ _on_ _a_ _gurney, covered from head to toe in a white blanket. The protégé's tears littered down his cheeks. His mouth opened up into a shout, frantically crying out Mo's name as if he'd never be able to scream again. Using every inch of strength he could muster, Glitch tore his way through the barrier that separated him from his mentor._

_It couldn't end this way. Not with that last conversation that came between them. Not without the closure Glitch had been needing._

_Not without Mo knowing that Glitch was safe and he forgave him._

_Strong arms hauled him back, wrapping around his waist and shoulders. Though, the young teenager proceeded to struggle against their grasps. He was small, but he had the strength of a gorilla. He fought like a wild animal; screaming, kicking, crying, anything to break free from his restraints. His strength surprised the officers, who had to tighten their grips around him._

_The_ _officers_ _holding_ _him_ _by_ _the_ _arms_ _met_ _the_ _unfortunate_ _fate_ _of_ _his_ _hard elbow_ _against_ _their_ _ribs_ _._ _His_ _fingers_ _formed_ _claw-like_ _curls_ _,_ _slashing_ _at_ _the_ _exposed_ _arms_ _of_ _the_ _officers_ _._ _Nonetheless_ _,_ _they_ _absolutely_ _refused_ _to_ _release_ _the_ _kid_ _._ _If_ _anything_ _,_ _they_ _only_ _restrained_ _him_ _tighter_ _._

 _The most horrendous noises left his lips, sounding like a mixture of an ear-piercing shriek and a growl. These noises wracked shivers even from the officers, like they couldn't believe_ _it_ _came_ _from_ _a_ _human's lips._

 _These_ _cries_ _sounded... Inhumane._

_Like he had been stripped from every trace of humanity he had in him, and all that remained was a wild beast acting upon instinct. Shouts from the police officers mixed in with his screaming, ordering the kid to stop with this mad behavior._

_Out_ _in_ _front_ _of_ _him_ _,_ _the_ _double_ _doors_ _of_ _the_ _ambulance_ _closed_ _shut一the_ _last_ _thing_ _he_ _witnessed_ _before_ _his_ _back_ _was_ _thrown_ _to_ _the_ _hard ground_ _. Glitch continued to_ _buck_ _and_ _writhe wildly against the arms that held him down, desperate to break free. But he was outnumbered, and all this screaming and struggling had already worn him out._ _His_ _eyes_ _darted_ _back_ _and_ _forth_ _between_ _the_ _officers_ _,_ _still_ _brimming_ _with_ _tears_ _cascading_ _down_ _his_ _cheeks_ _._

 _A_ _s if they refused to fight any longer, Glitch's limbs relaxed in surrender. His chest heaved up and down in rapid motions as he tried to catch his breath. His pupils remained dilated, staring up at the starry night sky above him._ _The_ _high-pitched call of the sirens, which rang at ear-splitting fortissimo, began to decrescendo little by little as the ambulance took off. Diminishing their reckless noises with each passing second._

_The police officers above him chattered amongst each other, but the pounding inside Glitch's skull drowned out their words. But for what he knew, he was in some mad trouble._

_The officers released their grip on the teenager . Glitch took this moment to push himself up into a sitting position. The scene that took place before him lingered in his thoughts as if he were still living through it. As if he was still witnessing Mo's unmoving body covered in blood and white blankets . One of the officers' voices spoke to him, most likely asking him questions._

_But he was incapable of answering. Heck, he couldn't even hear the questions. Everything had happened so quickly, and his still-developing young mind needed more time to process the recent events._

_"Excuse me, officers. We'll take him."_

_Glitch and the three policemen turned to the direction of that female voice. Above them stood two familiar faces from Dance Central Intelligence. Rasa and Lima._

_"Are you his legal guardians?" One officer questioned._

_The three officers stood up simultaneously and stepped up to the pair of agents. As the adults broke into conversation, Glitch slowly rose to his feet. He silently muttered words of complete nonsense under his breath as he made his way to the sidewalk. The young dancer took his seat at the edge. He stared expressionlessly at his bare palm , where blood caked along the naturally embedded curved lines ._

_"Officer, please listen to us," Lima pleaded, "He's not violent. He's just... Overwhelmed."_

_"We swear he's not usually like this," Rasa added, "He's never like this, actually."_

_The lead officer took a glance to the side, where Glitch sat on the sidewalk with his head hanging low and his arms holding his knees to his chest. The officer looked back at Rasa and Lima, giving the pair a subtle nod._

_"Just get the kid out of here and we'll let you go," the officer ordered._

_The officers had other matters to deal with. A crazed, melancholic teenager was not something they wanted to waste their precious time on._

_The trio of policemen turned away from the agents to go on with their jobs. The wailing sirens from earlier have already faded out completely, drowning the desolate street in dead silence._

_Just like that, he was gone._ _At that moment, all that remained was the wind._

"Glitch?"

Glitch snapped out of his traumatic memories at the call of his name. He tugged one earbud out before tilting his head upwards. Above him stood Lil' T in her black and purple DCI Agent outfit. The edges of her lips tugged downwards the second she took in his features for the day.

Dark shades of purple smudged underneath his eyes like someone had painted them there. His once-chubby cheeks have thinned out, and his eyes showed no sign of euphoric light like they used to. In fact, they were beginning to radiate a darker shade of green that might as well pass as black. The only light present in those black orbs came from the reflection of what he stared at.

"You look like shit," Lil' T said quietly.

Her voice showed no hint of insult or teasing. Rather, her words were laced with concern. With sympathy.

Glitch took no offense in her words and simply lifted his shoulders into a shrug. His eyes fell downwards while his head remained tilted towards her.

"I _feel_ like shit."

"When was the last time you've eaten something?"

"Probably a week or two ago."

He didn't even bother coming up with a lie. He simply had no energy to hide his slowly deteriorating physical (and mental) health.

Lil' T opened her mouth to speak. Glitch interrupted before a single syllable could make it out of her lips.

"It's fine, though," Glitch stood up from his seat, "You should be over there with your sister. I'll see you around... I guess."

The young girl blinked, "Wait, you're leaving already? It's pouring outside. You can catch a一"

"I don't care," Glitch mumbled.

Glitch slid his earbud back in its place before stepping around Lil' T. He did not want to stay here any longer. The environment just didn't seem... Normal. The room, once shining bright as the sun, had been drained of such light. And, he did not want to make Lil' T and everyone else pity him any more than they already did.

Guess he wasn't coming back here for some time.

~

A flicker of white light passed through the thin curtains, followed by a clamorous roar of thunder blaring outside the pitch darkness of the living room. Glitch huddled against the cold wall, trembling with Mo's blanket wrapped around his drenched clothing. His eyes closed tightly and mimicked the palpitations of his body. He tried desperately to focus on the inhumanely loud music playing from his earbuds. Anything but this electric storm that he now had to sit through alone.

_It was a ferocious, unforgiving night full of thunderclaps and strikes of lightning. Glitch curled up with his back against the wall of the living room. His knees rested against his chest as his hands pressed against both ears, fogging up his hearing. However, no matter how much strength he used, the powerful crash of thunder still made it to his eardrums._

_The front door opened, giving way for a million heavy raindrops to clatter from outside. Mo stepped into the house with a dripping wet umbrella hanging from one hand and a plastic grocery bag in the other. He looked into the dimly lit living room. His heart sank at the sight of his protégé curled into a fearful ball against the hard wall. No doubt due to a severe case of astraphobia, something he didn't know_ _Glitch_ _even suffered with._

_Even so, how stupid was he to leave a child alone in the night of a storm?_

_Mo quickly shut the door and dropped his belongings on the kitchen table. Glitch appeared to not have noticed his mentor's presence in the room, as he was far too focused on drowning out these monstrous noises._

_Another clap of thunder roared aggressively, like a beast straight out of a horror film. The young teenager curled up even tighter and strengthened his effort in clogging his ears. Soft whimpers and sobs emerged from his lips, a disheartening sound that launched Mo into the living room at the speed of a rocket._

_The older dancer knelt down beside the petrified teenager, whose tears shimmered in thin lines running down his cheeks like twin rivers. Seeing the kid in such a state left a heavy ache in the center of his chest, and he couldn't help but blame himself for leaving him alone on such a stormy night._

_He slowly extended a hand towards him in hopes of alerting Glitch of his presence. His other hand dug his phone out of his pocket, where a pair of thin, white wires wrapped around its frame._

_Before his fingers could even brush against his arm, Glitch's head darted in Mo's direction. His pupils have grown so wide, they nearly covered the entirety of his circular irises in their black color._

_"Hey, I'm here. It's okay," Mo attempted to comfort him, "Can you lower your hands for me?"_

_Glitch's hands loosened around his ears, now unclogging them. However, his palms still cupped around his ears, which blocked Mo's access to them. The older dancer opened his mouth to repeat his request._

_Mo's words were replaced by yet another perilous roar from the sky. Glitch's eyes clamped shut as his palms pressed back against his ears. Shivers wracked the young boy's small body while tears ran down his face like raindrops racing down a glass window._

_Mo quickly unwrapped the wires from his phone. He took both earbuds between his thumb and fingers before turning back to the kid. Mo slowly reached a hand towards Glitch's wrist, ready to draw back if he triggered a negative reaction._

_Glitches hands loosened once again, most definitely due to tiredness from squeezing so hard. Mo took this opportunity to sneak an earbud underneath his palm and insert it into his ear._

_Glitch opened his eyes in response to this tune that filled into his senses. He slowly turned his head to look at Mo. Mo shot him a soft smile of reassurance. He proceeded to place the remaining earbud into his other ear, now drowning Glitch in a world of pleasant sound._

_Mo scooted closer to Glitch. He wrapped his arms around the boy's small, trembling body. Mo gently pulled him to his chest and shifted himself to find a more comfortable position for them both._

_"You're safe here," Mo reassured him, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."_

_Glitch closed his eyes. He focused his attention on the music, picturing himself dancing to the beat. The warmth of his mentor's body merged with his own. His head resided on Mo's chest, which gradually started to rise as his mentor inhaled a breath. Mo exhaled, deflating his lungs as his chest fell back down. This motion continued in a steady, nonstop pattern that brought an odd source of comfort to the protégé._

_Mo placed his chin on top of the boy's head. His hand ran up and down along Glitch's back, engulfing him in a flood of fatigue. The stiffness that had once been present in Glitch's shoulders loosened. Slowly but surely, his sense of attention shifted. His breathing grew more steady, allowing his subconscious to take over him._

_And then he fell into a relaxing slumber._

_Mo brought his hand to a halt. He glanced down at the peaceful boy in his arms, resting against his chest as if he were the most comfortable pillow in the world. He feared that he would wake him up if he moved. Thus, he had no choice but to stay in this position until Glitch woke up._

_He didn't mind, though. But at that moment, he vowed never to leave the kid alone in the midst of a storm again._

Glitch rested his forehead against his curled knees. His fingers clenched Mo's blanket on either side of him as if it were the most precious treasure on Earth. He inhaled a deep breath through his nostrils, trying desperately to take in his mentor's weak scent that lingered within the stitches of the soft fabric.

Those words that Mo had said echoed in his thoughts like an everlasting subliminal message. The words that were very much a lie.

_I'm not going anywhere. I promise._

Mo had broken that promise. Where was he now when Glitch needed him?

Aggressive and heavy raindrops pounded against the gutter from outside. Glitch curled up as tightly as he could manage, pretending that Mo was still there with him. That he was cuddled up against his mentor's warm chest.

Pretending that he could still fall asleep to the soft and comforting sound of Mo's breathing.

Though, he typically avoided sleep nowadays. The sight of his mentor's crippled body covered in a blanket had left him traumatized to the point where that image haunted him in his sleep.

He was scared. Conflicted. If he fell asleep, he would just see that horrific image again. If he stayed awake, he would have to sit through this perilous storm all night.

At that moment, all he could do was remain in that spot with his music at full blast. To remain sitting alone on the cold floor, being torn to shreds, and pretending.

Pretending as if it could magically bring Mo back to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, I hope this message finds you well. I promise this story will have a happy ending :<
> 
> On another note, if you're looking for a place full of fellow Dance Central fans, come and join the fun on GnashtyGaming's Discord server here! (Link posted with permission)
> 
> https://discord.gg/GCKqc8C
> 
> P.s. I've just realized the format got messed up when I pasted the text ._. So sorry about that >-<


	3. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⚠TRIGGER WARNING: suicidal behaviors and sensitive topics are implemented in this chapter. There is no explicit content, but there is an important scene that may be triggering to some readers⚠

_"Mo, can you teach me a dance move?"_

_Mo halted his dance practice and turned around to face the eleven-year-old boy. The soon-to-be dancer looked up at Mo, his eyes gleaming with sparks of excitement. His lips formed possibly the biggest smile ever possible. If there was a worldwide smile competition, this kid would have won in no time._

_It was practically impossible to say no to a face like that. The kid's bright and contagious smile spread to Mo like a virus, causing his lips to form a smile of their own. Mo stepped up to the kid. He placed his hand on top of the young boy's head and ruffled his short strands of raven hair._

_"Alright. But only one dance move," Mo said, "'Cause I gotta get back to practicing. But if you want, I'll teach you some more moves another time."_

_Mo released his hand from his head. Immediately, the young child jumped and cheered loudly, startling Mo with his outburst of enthusiasm. A few onlookers in the room looked at the pair. Mo's face heated with secondhand embarrassment. He lifted his hand towards the other visitors in hopes that they would take it as an apology._

_The kid skipped in front of the massive glass that extended to the length of the wall. Astonished, he stared at his reflection as if this were the first time he's seen a mirror._

_"So, what's the first step?" He asked._

_"Well, first step is you calm down," Mo answered with a laugh, "But in all seriousness, place your feet a little farther apart."_

**~•~**

_Glitch, a boy fourteen now, bolted out of his room, excited to show his mentor the outfit he put together. Mo sat on the couch with an action movie playing on TV. The sound of Glitch's rapid footsteps caught his attention as the kid ran in front of the flat screen. He stopped with his body facing his mentor, blocking Mo's view of the movie._

_"What do you think of this fit?" Glitch asked with a smirk._

_Mo blinked, "Is that my shirt you're wearing?"_

_Glitch nodded with a smile still lighting up his facial features, "I was thinking about using this as my dance outfit."_

_Mo examined the kid's choice of clothing. He wore an oversized, multicolored T-shirt that extended all the way to his knees. A pair of black, baggy jeans covered his legs with a snippet of neon green suspenders poking out from the bottom of the large T-shirt (barely even visible, though). To touch up his fit, Glitch had placed a black fingerless glove on his left hand, an elbow pad on his right elbow, and a red bandana around his neck. He must have had a thing for asymmetrical designs._

_Mo had to admit it wasn't bad, but there was one problem. The shirt was way too big for him. The horizontal line, which was supposed to hover just beneath his chest, wrapped around his waist. Mo had to hold back the laugh that threatened to emerge from his lips. The kid was so small, and he just casually put on this X-Large T-shirt like it was nothing._

_"I like it," Mo commented, "But my shirt... It's a bit big, don't you think?"_

_"I thought the design looked cool," Glitch shrugged, "But I can find a different one."_

_"No, it's fine," Mo stood up from the couch, "If you like it, you can keep it."_

_Glitch tilted his head to the side, "But didn't you say it was too big?"_

_"That doesn't mean we can't fix it," Mo smiled, "Change back to your normal clothes real quick while I go find a sewing machine."_

~

_Glitch stared at the mirror in awe, taking in the outfit that Mo fixed up for him. The shirt had been cut at his hips, which gave more visibility to the green suspenders that hung from his waist. In addition, Mo helped slick his pure black hair into a faux hawk._

_"Something's missing," Mo said with his finger tapping against his chin, "I can't put my finger on it, though."_

_Glitch gently poked the side of his faux hawk with his finger. He rotated his head to examine his hairdo from all angles. Then, a yellow lightbulb flashed above Glitch's head. He faced his mentor with the light of excitement still shining in his viridescent eyes._

_"Let's dye my hair!" Glitch suggested with glee, "I mean, not my entire head, though. You know, just like a streak on the side?"_

_Glitch lifted his gloved hand and pointed to the corresponding side of his faux hawk. Mo looked his protégé's new outfit up and down. His eyes traveled upwards and stopped on Glitch's undyed faux hawk. A neon green streak crept through the raven strands in the spot he pointed to, perhaps the perfect finishing touch to his outfit. Green was Glitch's favorite color after all._

_The older dancer broke out of his short vision. He smiled, then nodded._

_"How does green sound?"_

_The kid must have liked that idea, because Mo swore the light in his eyes just grew brighter (if that was even possible)._

_"But make it temporary," Glitch added, "I might need to change the color to match different outfits. You know what I mean?"_

_"Well, let's head to the store and buy some bleach, then," Mo suggested, "By the way... Wanna form a dance crew? I have another shirt just like that one that I can wear to match with you."_

_At this point, the kid might as well outcompete the stars on who can shine brighter. Even the brightest celestial body in the galaxy would be jealous of him. Mo couldn't help but laugh lightly at his excitement._

_"I'll take that as a yes, judging by that smile on your face," Mo said._

_He reached his hand out and allowed it to perch on Glitch's shoulder. Glitch stared up at his mentor, whose smile had softened. Mo gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze as he spoke._

_"One day, you'll be the greatest dancer anyone has ever seen."_

**~•~**

Glitch rammed his fist into the white wall of his bedroom, emitting a spark of pain in his knuckles. He gritted his teeth and switched it out for his other fist. He ignored the excruciating pain that crushed his fingers and knuckles as he continued slamming them into the wall. Blood broke through the surface of his skin, tainting his knuckles a deep shade of red. God, he just wanted to tear that wall down, to punch a hole in it. He could care less if the neighbors heard the ruckus of his pounding fists. This wasn't like the movies where they would come in to see what was up anyways. If anything, all the neighbors cared about was smoking weed.

His right fist slammed onto the wall directly underneath a photo strip. Printed on that strip was a series of silly pictures that he and Mo had taken together in a photo booth last month. The week before his world came crumbling down.

Above the strip sat more photos of him and Mo, ranging from selfies to full-body pictures in front of famous attractions around the world. These pictures taunted him, just like the stars did. They only fed to the seething rage that began to simmer within him.

Glitch screamed in outrage and swiped his hand across his messy desk. Heavy shatters and clatters pulsated against the wooden floor beneath his feet. His PC, keyboard, and headphones soon joined the fallen objects on the floor.

His hands came to a halt when his eyesight brushed against a small object lying flat on the wooden desk: a box cutter. The lethal object that he borrowed from Mo for a school project last month, but forgot to give back. The short, silver, razor-like blade glinted underneath the weak lighting. It called out to him, begging him to reach for it.

And reach for it he did.

He gripped his fingers around the smooth handle so tightly, his wrist palpitated up and down. He looked down at his exposed left forearm underneath his black wristwatch. His eyes blankly examined the smooth and pale skin as if it were the rarest gem in the world.

Maybe this was it. Just one swipe of the blade and he could end it all. He could be with Mo again.

He could be free from all this pain and torture, from that cursed voice inside his head. From the constant reminders that Mo was gone because of him.

But he couldn't do that just yet. He needed to let whoever finds his body know what happened.

 _If_ anyone finds his body that is.

Glitch placed the box cutter back down. He tore a sheet of paper from his math journal and wasted no time thinking of better words. He quickly scribbled a short note on that graphed sheet before tossing the pen across the room.

With his right hand shaking, Glitch's fingers crept towards the black watch on his left wrist. He hesitantly unstrapped and discarded the time tracking object onto his semi-empty desk. He slowly lifted his forearm up to chest level. Glitch rotated his arm side to side. Faded rays of natural light reflected off his clean and unscathed skin, glinting back and forth with each rotation. Like a new silver coin shimmering underneath a dim light. He eyed the perfect spot right down the middle as his right hand unconsciously regained its grip on the box cutter.

Glitch took a deep, shuddering breath. He led the blade to his arm and placed the tip against his inner wrist. The small blade tickled his skin, not digging deep enough to draw blood just yet. He stared at his wrist and the blade that touched it. Thoughts roamed around his head like a horde of buzzy bees, debating whether he should do it or not.

Should he really end his life right then and there?

One voice screamed yes, but the other screamed no. He did not know which one to listen to.

But why was he hesitating? He wanted to die, didn't he? He wanted to jump into Death's welcoming arms and feel its warm embrace. To be free from his days of never ending despair.

Or was Death's embrace cold?

Glitch's fingers tightened around the handle. Warm or cold, he was ready to be engulfed in the arms of Death. This was the only way out. The only way to see Mo again.

This would most definitely be a slow and painful death; And he deserved it. He deserved to feel every agonizing moment before Death would finally come to take him in.

He had to do this.

Before he could proceed with his choice, a gentle gust of wind touched his purple-dyed hair. A wind perhaps as cold as Death itself. Glitch tore his gaze away from his wrist and moved it to the open window. Another breeze whiffed past him, brushing gently against his face in a swift and chilly motion. Wind chimes repeatedly tapped against one another and emitted their obnoxiously high-pitched tune from outside his window.

Glitch's hand that held the box cutter trembled up and down. As if this wind were commanding him to, Glitch moved the blade away from his wrist. He stared down at his hand that gripped the honed object. Small beads of sweat broke through the surface of his forehead, racing down the side of his face and dripping along his tense neck. Finally, his fingers released the deadly blade. The box cutter clattered back onto the table, bouncing from end to end like a pencil on a desk.

With his eyes wide open, Glitch stumbled backwards from his desk. His breathing came out brisk and rapid, like he had just run twenty miles nonstop. The wind chimes silenced their chilling song as the icy gale dispelled its path. Glitch glanced down at his forearm. His skin still remained as smooth and unmarked as the day he was born.

Questions roamed around in his head like a horde of angry wasps on drugs. What was that just now? Why and how did the wind stop him from taking his own life?

~

A pair of dancers stood in front of the door leading to Mo and Glitch's place. Bodie and Emilia from Riptide. The kid has not been seen at headquarters since three weeks ago, so the dancers made the decision to check up on him.

"Do you think only one of us should go in?" Bodie asked.

Emilia shrugged, "We'll see how he reacts when he opens the door."

Emilia lifted her finger and pressed the button on the doorbell. The familiar, two-note tune sung in a descending major third interval from inside the house. Bodie and Emilia stood side by side in silence, waiting anxiously for the door to open.

However, the door gave no response. Not even the tiniest sound emitted from the other side of the wood. Emilia lifted a single eyebrow, then wrapped her fingers around the icy handle. She slowly twisted the handle clockwise, summoning a solid click from within.

"He left his door unlocked?" Bodie questioned.

"Should we really be surprised?" Emilia pointed out, "After all, Mo always forgot to lock the一oh. Sorry."

Emilia lowered her voice at that final word. She swallowed a thick lump in her throat, the one that thankfully clogged the rest of her words from coming out. She shouldn't be saying a dead man's name out loud so freely.

Bodie frowned and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. His body language told her it was okay, that he forgave her for saying his name out loud.

"Anyways, let's go inside," Emilia suggested.

Emilia pushed the door open, giving the pair an entrance. The house looked surprisingly spotless despite Glitch's current state of distress. The furniture lied bright and pristine as if it came straight from a brand new store. The light brown wood that covered the floor shimmered and glinted like it had just been waxed. One could even compare this place to the cleanliness of a newly built home.

The two dancers stepped all the way inside the house. They tiptoed along the wooden floor, walking sneakily as if they were getting a snack at three in the morning.

"Glitch?" Bodie called, "Are you in here, bud?"

Down the hallway, one of the bedroom doors sat open. Oddly inviting, one could say. Bodie gently tapped his partner's shoulder and pointed a finger up ahead. Emilia's gaze followed his finger along the hall of bedrooms. She nodded subtly, then the pair of dancers made their way towards the open door.

"I'll go in first," Bodie said.

Emilia didn't bother arguing and took a step back. Bodie was much closer to Glitch than she was, anyways. Thus, if one of them were to enter, Bodie was the best option.

The blond dancer slowly approached the room and poked his head through the doorframe. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he took in the horrors of the room. He did not know what he expected to see, but it definitely wasn't _this._

Objects littered all around the wooden floor, ranging from open textbooks and journals to Glitch's computer. Loose paper and broken action figures scattered here and there, like a miniature hurricane had struck this very room. In fact, the floor could hardly even be seen with all the objects that lied upon it.

Glitch sat on the floor with his back against the bed. His left leg lied straight with his right leg slightly bent. He rested one arm on his bent knee and stared straight ahead, mumbling unclear words under his breath. Fresh blood specked along the top of his knuckles and dripped down the side of his hand like red raindrops.

"Glitch!" Bodie gasped and dashed into the room.

"What happened he一"

Emilia stopped talking as she took in the disastrous mess that lay within the four walls of Glitch's bedroom. She rushed to Bodie's side and joined him as they stood above the teenager's melancholic figure.

"Hey, kid," Bodie knelt down in front of Glitch, "Are you alright?"

Glitch turned his head away from the blond dancer and his partner. His unclear muttering continued as the kid pushed himself off the floor. His feet stumbled to the side like a toddler just learning how to walk. Glitch quickly placed his hand on the wall to regain his balance. The teenager avoided looking at the two dancers as he dragged his feet outside the doorway.

"Make yourselves at home," Glitch mumbled.

Silent as a ghost, Glitch stepped away from the room. His footsteps echoed against the floor, growing quieter the farther he walked from them. The front door slowly creaked open in a long squeak. The harsh sound of heavy downpour entered the house, clattering rapidly against the outside ground like a machine gun. Finally, the door slammed shut. The sound of a thousand raindrops grew mute as the house fell into complete and utter silence.

Bodie rose to his feet. He and his partner looked at each other, then frowned simultaneously. Emilia's eyes traveled away from Bodie, where they landed on the other side of the room.

Small objects rested on the wooden desk near the window. These particular objects brushed against the edge of Emilia's sight, sparking curiosity within her senses. The female dancer stepped around her partner. She came to a halt directly in front of Glitch's clean desk.

Only three objects lied upon this table: a watch, a sheet of graph paper, and... A box cutter. Emilia lifted the paper to her face, where two short sentences presented themselves in black ink.

_Oh well. At least it wasn't an epic fail._

Emilia's eyes moved to the two remaining objects on his desk. The black watch that Glitch always wore with his particular outfit for the day sat discarded in the middle. Alongside it, a thankfully clean box cutter scintillated its short blade near the window.

Then, the realization hit her like a brick. Though, it didn't take a genius to put the pieces together.

"Oh, my God," Emilia's hands trembled while her eyes gradually enlarged to the size of frisbees.

Bodie tilted his head to the side. He stepped up to his partner in curiosity. The taller dancer snuck a glance over Emilia's shoulder to read the short note that Glitch had written. Emilia rotated her neck to look Bodie in the eye.

"He... He almost killed himself."

Bodie's eyes widened, "He _what?_ "

Bodie, along with everyone else at DCI, knew that Mo's death had taken quite a toll on Glitch. After all, those two were as close as brothers. But he never thought it would come to... This.

Was he really that desperate to free himself from all this pain and guilt? That he had lost all hope of finding a pathway to euphoria and yearned to give up so soon?

That he had found himself trapped in an everlasting tunnel of darkness with no sign of light to be found?

Though, they should have uncovered this sooner. It was obvious that Glitch was more than just upset. His health was drastically declining (they wouldn't be surprised if his ribs were visible at this point), he refused to speak to anyone, he walked as if he had no care in the world, the list could go on.

"We have to tell Rasa and Lima," Emilia stated sharply.

Bodie blinked a single time, "Don't you think the kid would want some privacy?"

"Bodie!" Emilia turned around to face him with her body, "Would you rather find him lying in a pool of his own blood next time we come in and check on him?"

Bodie's expression fell blank. Just picturing the young boy's corpse sent his stomach churning and his chest curling. An image that was horrific enough just imagining it. One that he would surely remember for many nights to come had it happened in reality.

Plus, they could not afford to lose the remaining member of Hi-Def. They needed to do whatever they could to save him.

For both Mo _and_ Glitch. They knew Mo well enough to know that he wouldn't want Glitch to do this.

Bodie broke out of his expressionless stare. He nodded his head a single time, confirming his agreement to her statement.

"We'll tell them tomorrow."

He would rather be hated by Glitch for the rest of his life than lose another friend. Glitch needed help, and they were the only ones who could get him the help he needed.

They heard his cry for help, and they heard it loud and clear.

~

Cold raindrops absorbed into the thin fabric of his purple shirt. Glitch shivered as his damp clothing stuck to his body like an additional layer of skin. His black shoes splashed against the rain-covered ground with each step he took along the waterlogged city.

Glitch's head spun in circles, pounding excruciatingly against his skull on either side. Glitch grunted and rubbed his agonizingly aching temple. He turned the corner into an empty street, where a brick wall sat at the end. A rather large object sat perched against the wall, radiating a snow-like color.

Glitch lowered his hand from his head. Curiously, he stepped forward. His feet mindlessly led him closer and closer to this mysterious object. A burdensome weight dropped to his stomach, growing heavier with each preceding step taken. Like he was making an awful choice. He screamed at his legs to stop, but they refused to listen. At that moment, he was just a machine with no control over his own limbs.

Finally, the object presented itself. A sheet of white blankets sat above a gurney. Or, more like _someone_ lied underneath the blankets.

Glitch gasped and stumbled backwards. The image of Mo being loaded into an ambulance flooded through him, attacking his conscious mind. He closed his eyes and rubbed them with the back of his hand.

His eyes reopened. Thankfully, the blankets on the gurney had been replaced by a tall pile of cardboard boxes. Glitch exhaled a sigh of relief.

He was just hallucinating. Though, it wasn't like that was a good thing, either. Awake or asleep, that traumatic image will still linger in his mind and attack at any unpredictable moment. Like a predator sneaking up on its prey.

His head pulsated heavily like a mallet against a bass drum. The world around him spun in circles as if he were on a teacup ride spinning at top speed. Fuzzy splotches of red and black speckled around his vision, limiting his sense of sight. His stomach churned in all directions like fruit in a blender. Most likely a side effect of the lack of food and sleep he's gotten in the past couple weeks.

He clenched his arm around his stomach, trying desperately to hold back the urge to gag from his sense of vertigo. His feet barely even took two steps before darkness caved in on him, stripping him of all consciousness. Glitch's eyelids drooped heavily over his eyes. Finally, his knees gave in like they had forgotten how to stand.

The young boy collapsed forward. The force of his body emitted a loud splash from the rain-covered ground as water absorbed into his clothing. He remained on the ground, motionless and alone. All that accompanied him was the raindrops falling upon his body.


	4. Wind

“I can't believe I forgot to bring an umbrella.”

Miss Aubrey rambled on about her clothes being soaked for the twentieth time, to which Angel simply exhaled a long sigh. Streetlights ignited above their path as the pair of dancers strode underneath the starlit sky. Cars dashed by on the street, flashing their blinding headlights as their tires drifted against the shallow flood.

“Alright. Why don't you take my jacket, then?” Angel offered.

Angel reached for the collar of his black over shirt, only for his redhead partner to halt at a corner. She stood with her body facing a dark and desolate street, frozen as if she had seen a poltergeist. Angel released his jacket and stepped by her side.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

Aubrey lifted a finger up ahead, “Is that…?”

Aubrey took two cautious steps forward, approaching a motionless figure lying on the rain-covered ground. The redhead took off sprinting down the street as the familiar features clicked within her. Angel gasped and bolted after her.

Aubrey stopped directly above the unmoving body lying on their stomach. Her eyes grew wide while her hands clamped down over her mouth.

“Glitch?”

Angel caught up to his dance partner, just in time for her to kneel down next to Glitch's body. His eyes mimicked hers and expanded their size the second he saw the child.

Aubrey shifted Glitch's body so that he laid on his back. His head fell limply to the side with his eyes closed shut. Angel scurried to the other side of Glitch’s body and knelt down.

“What do we do?” Angel asked in panic.

Aubrey gently pressed two fingers just underneath Glitch's jaw. A weak pulse pumped against her fingers at a slow, larghetto tempo. Though, just barely noticeable. Relief washed over her as she drew her fingers off his neck.

“He's alive,” Aubrey clarified, “But we should get him home.”

Angel nodded. He slid his arms out of his jacket as Aubrey carefully lifted Glitch to a sitting position. Angel wrapped his jacket around Glitch's shoulders, cradling the young boy like a large blanket. The Hispanic dancer gently tucked one hand underneath the kid's knees while the other hand resided on his small back. In one swift motion, Angel lifted Glitch off the ground.

Picking up the kid was the equivalent of carrying a puppy. He weighed much less than Angel expected him to. Though, it didn't take a genius to know it was partially due to lack of eating. Glitch's figure had gotten much slimmer since the last time they've seen him, after all.

“You know where he lives, right?” Aubrey asked.

Angel nodded, “Yeah, with…”

His voice trailed off before he could utter the single-syllable name of their beloved friend and fellow dancer. His chest curled just at the thought of saying his name out loud. Aubrey frowned and looked at the unconscious teenager in Angel’s arms.

“I probably wouldn't have been able to recognize him if it weren’t for his outfit,” Aubrey said quietly, hoping to change the subject.

Angel nodded and blinked against the scalding sensation in his eyes. He clutched Glitch's body tightly against his chest as if he were holding a fragile newborn child.

“Let's go before we catch a cold.”

~

Emilia paced around the living room. Her feet led her back and forth in long strides whilst muttering words of nonsense under her breath. Bodie sat on the couch with his phone in his hand. His thumbs scrolled through an album of pictures that featured him and Mo side by side.

The phone trembled in his hand as a thin fog clouded his vision. Bodie sniffed back the stuffiness that clogged his nostrils. He lifted his arm and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“Where is he?” Emilia asked anxiously, “It's already dark outside.”

Bodie dried his eyes of any remaining tears and placed his phone back inside his pocket. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when the door clicked open. Hope ignited within the two dancers. At the speed of light, Bodie and Emilia dashed to the front of the house.

The dancers approached the doorway, already prepared to welcome the teenager back home. However, their faces fell at the sight of Angel and Aubrey standing on the porch. Their vanished hope converted to panic at the sight of a motionless Glitch cradled in Angel's jacket. Both Bodie and Emilia widened their eyes simultaneously.

Aubrey shook her head, “Don't worry, he's just knocked out.”

“We found him near a dead end,” Angel explained.

Angel and Aubrey didn't even bother questioning why Bodie and Emilia were in the house. They had more important matters to worry about at the moment.

Angel stepped through the doorway with Glitch in his arms. He entered the living room and gently lowered the young teenager onto the couch, allowing him to rest with his head on a soft cushion. Glitch's face scrunched up as he muttered sleepy and unclear words in a near whisper.

Angel slid his soaked jacket back over his shoulders. He silently stepped away from the sleeping boy and returned to Aubrey's side by the doorway.

“You should get him something to eat when he wakes up,” Angel informed the other dance crew, “He's as light as a feather.”

Emilia nodded, “Thanks for finding him.”

And with that, Angel and Aubrey stepped back into the pouring rain. Angel shut the door behind them, leaving the other crew with the unconscious Glitch. Emilia looked at the sleeping teenager on the couch, who had shifted to lay on his side with his knees curled to his chest.

His teeth gritted tightly while his fingers clenched around the thick fabric that covered the couch. His small body twitched and trembled underneath the dim lighting of the room. Small, whimper-like noises left his lips, though not audible enough to properly make out his words.

His cheeks remained dry as a sun-baked desert. Glitch had gotten so used to holding his tears back that he could quite literally do it in his sleep. His tear ducts might as well function no longer at this point.

The sight of the young boy in such a state of desperation evoked a heavy feeling inside the two dancers. This was another side of him they had never witnessed before. He just looked so… Broken. Like the awkward and innocent child they once knew had been drained from his very being. Like all that was left was this empty and fragile shell breaking apart piece by piece.

If he had any pieces left to break, that is.

Emilia tore her gaze away from the distressed teenager. She eyed her purse on the kitchen counter, the object which restrained a certain letter she still had yet to deliver. Her fingers curled into a tight fist at those words Mo had said to her a year back. Though, she remembered them vividly as if she had heard them yesterday.

She swore Mo must have predicted the future with those words.

_“Hey, Em. Can you do me a favor?”_

_Emilia turned around on her heels at the call of her name. In front of her stood a certain dancer with a relatively dark complexion dressed in his usual crew look. Her eyes traveled downwards, where they landed on a white envelope clamped between his fingers._

_“I need you to give this to Glitch in the case that I die.”_

_Emilia raised a single eyebrow. She shot her eyes back up, looking Mo in the face as if he had a giant caterpillar resting on his head._

_“You want me to do what now?”_

_“Give this to Glitch if I die,” Mo repeated his request._

_Emilia tilted her head sideways, “Don't you think you're being a bit extra, Mo? You've still got years to go.”_

_Mo shrugged, “Well, you never know what can happen. The day I die could be next week or even tomorrow. You get what I'm saying? Sometimes you don't know if you'll wake up the next day.”_

_Emilia blinked once. Her eyes darted back and forth between Mo and the envelope in his hands. This didn't appear to be one of his jokes, as it would have been expected to be. The expression on his face told her he was being serious, as silly as this request was._

_Emilia breathed out a long sigh, “Alright. I highly doubt it'll be needed this early, but I'll do it.”_

Emilia snapped out of her brief memory at the sensation of warmth absorbing into her shoulder. Her eyes traveled over her shoulder, where they landed on the sapphire-like eyes of her dance partner.

“Should we stay here with him or what do you want to do?” Bodie asked.

Emilia looked back at the sleeping teenager. The thought of him touching that blade again curled her chest in a sense of unease. Leaving him alone would be the worst idea one could think of.

“Let's stay here,” Emilia suggested under her breath, “I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone.”

“Sounds good.”

Bodie lowered his hand from Emilia's shoulder. Emilia watched as her partner made his way to the front door. He pulled the door open, allowing the clattering of heavy raindrops to fill the quiet void.

“Where are you going?” Emilia questioned.

“To buy us some coffee,” Bodie answered as he reached for an umbrella, “We're gonna have to stay up to make sure he doesn't… You know.”

Thankfully, he hadn’t finished that sentence. Not that he wanted to say it, anyways.

Emilia shot her partner a single nod of approval. With his car keys in his hand, Bodie stepped out into the inclement weather. He pulled the front door shut, welcoming silence back into the dimly lit house.

~

Glitch's eyes darted open. The dark ceiling of the living room greeted him as his conscious senses reawakened. Sweat beaded along his forehead and ran down either side of his face. His chest heaved up and down in a rapid motion like he had just finished running a marathon. He lifted an arm up and wiped his sweat-streaked forehead on the back of his hand.

The eyes of dawn have just barely opened, emitting little light through the window. Not even the morning birds chirped their usual tune just yet. Glitch swung his legs over the edge of the sofa. He pushed himself to his feet, which stumbled to the side as black fog flooded through his vision. His head ached painfully on either side as if it were being crushed underneath a hydraulic press.

He let out a small grunt and rubbed the side of his head. The black fog began to gradually fade out, slowly returning his sense of vision to him. Glitch shakily dragged his feet across the floor. His foot tumbled into the side of a soft yet solid object. Glitch panicked and placed his hand on the couch to regain his balance. The young boy whispered a series of foul curses under his breath as he continued his path out of the living room.

Glitch stopped when he reached the kitchen. Mindlessly, his hand flicked on the light switch. He pulled one of the drawers open. Specifically, the drawer where Mo kept all their knives. Glitch stared down at the array of luminescent, silver blades lying before him. White light and shadows bounced off their clean, shining surface.

Glitch reached a trembling hand inside the drawer. His fingers brushed against a black handle, caressing it gently as if it were the fragile head of a newborn puppy. He wrapped his fingers around the cold handle and brought it into the palm of his hand.

The sensation of the smooth handle pressing against his skin brought an oddly comforting sensation to him. Words couldn't describe it. It was just so… Satisfying. So ethereal, it must surely be an illusion.

Glitch raised the knife to eye level, holding it with the tip of the blade pointing upwards. Like a mirror, his pitch black eyes reflected off the silver surface. Purple specks that were nearly the same color as the streak in his hair covered a half circular area underneath his lifeless eyes.

He looked like a robot. Like an artificially intelligent automaton drained of all human emotions. Though, perhaps, that was not far from the reality. His eyes showed absolutely no hint of emotions, neither positive nor negative. No sign of light. Nothing but a black hole floating in the middle of the universe.

“Can I help you, Glitch?”

Glitch gasped and dropped the knife back in its place. He quickly slammed the drawer shut and turned to the entrance of the kitchen. Emilia stood with her back leaning against the wall and her arms crossed over her chest.

Glitch blinked, “You're still here?”

Emilia nodded. Her mouth opened up into a yawn, to which she covered with her hand.

“So is Bodie,” Emilia added while rubbing her sleep deprived eyes.

Bodie, who Glitch hadn't realized stood hidden in the shadows, presented himself to the light. Bodie and Emilia stepped in front of the younger dancer, thankful that they caught him red-handed.

With her eyes on her partner, Emilia gestured her head in the direction of the grocery bag lying on the kitchen counter. Bodie nodded silently before parting in a short distance from Glitch and Emilia. The brunette turned back to the teenager, who looked up at her like he had seen a ghost. Emilia leaned over slightly and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“We heard you screaming last night. Nightmares?”

Glitch turned his eyes down to the closed drawer full of knives. He pressed his lips together, then nodded a single time.

Though, nightmares no longer bothered him. At this point, they have become a norm. But seeing traumatic images while he was awake… That was something different. Something he had never experienced until he lost Mo right in front of his eyes.

“It seems like everywhere I go, I… I see his dead body,” Glitch said shakily under his breath, “I don't know what to do anymore. It… It feels like I'm losing my mind. I just… I've never felt this much pain in my life.”

Emilia frowned. Her thoughts struggled to find a combination of words, anything she could say in response to his unhappiness. However, the fear of her words only worsening his distress overran the gears in her brain. So, she did the only thing she could think of.

Hug him.

Her arms wrapped tightly over his shoulders as she pulled his petite body close. Glitch's eyebrows shot upwards at this unexpected embrace. His mind screamed at his arms to push her away, to stop begging for sympathy like a weakling. But his arms refused to listen to whatever command they received. Instead, they hung loosely on either side of him as if they had no muscles at all.

“I'm here,” Emilia reassured him quietly, “I might not be what you need, nor is it enough. But I'm here.”

Glitch turned his head slightly to look at her. Her amber-colored strands tickled the tip of his nose and cheeks like a feather. Finally, his arms lifted to wrap around her upper back. Glitch closed his eyes and allowed his head to land on her shoulder. The sweet yet bitter smell of coffee entered his nostrils, sharp and pungent as if coffee was the only thing she consumed for an entire month. He wouldn't be surprised if her blood ended up being brown at this point.

But maybe, just for this one time, he could accept this embrace. He could accept this sympathy. Besides, he wouldn't be able to push her away even if he tried. She held him far too tightly to have her arms torn off from him.

Perhaps a tight embrace was exactly what he needed at the moment. Just something to temporarily put his shattered pieces back together and blur all his surroundings for a short moment.

Something to take his mind off of Mo.

Emilia's hand ran up and down his back in a gentle motion, not daring to pull away until he did. She was willing to stay in this position for a whole hour if that was what he needed.

“I hate to ruin the moment,” Bodie began, “But where are the goddamned eggs?”

A soft _pfft_ came out of Glitch's lips, eventually building up into a small laugh. That little sound of joy spread to Emilia, who couldn't help but let out a laugh of her own.

The young boy unraveled his arms from Emilia and took a step back. The smallest smile tugged at the edge of his lips as Glitch turned to face Bodie, who stood in front of the open refrigerator.

“They're like _way_ in the back,” Glitch informed him, “Mo would always put them in a weird spot. Here, I'll get them.”

Bodie took a step back, allowing Glitch to pass through to the fridge. The blond dancer spared a glance at his partner. He silently mouthed “sorry” in her direction, to which Emilia just smiled.

She could care less about their “moment” being ruined. Because, in that brief second following Bodie’s interruption, the Glitch she once knew had cracked out of his shell. He just barely came out, but at least he was still in there somewhere.

“How many do you need?” Glitch asked.

“Depends how many pancakes you want,” Bodie answered.

Glitch turned to the dancers with two eggs in each hand. His eyes fell to the pair of well-rounded, white eggs resting in his right hand.

“Actually, I'm not really一”

“Hey, why don’t you make pancakes with us?” Emilia suggested, “Just something to take your mind off of everything.”

Glitch opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when Bodie gently snatched the eggs from his hands. Emilia, on the other hand, dug a box of strawberries from the grocery bag.

While the two older dancers began setting up, Glitch made his way back to the drawer he previously stood in front of. He pulled the drawer open, where the row of silver knives presented themselves once again. Glitch’s fingers reached to draw out yet another knife. He closed the drawer and turned around, just in time for another hand to snatch the blade from him.

“I’ll take that, thank you.”

Glitch’s eyes followed the direction of Emilia’s voice. The brunette pointed her thumb towards her blond partner on the other side of the kitchen.

“Go help Bodie with the eggs,” Emilia said, “He doesn’t know how to crack an egg.”

“I know how to crack an egg!” Bodie blurted, “I just need to一”

A thin crack cut Bodie’s statement short. Glitch and Emilia turned to the tall blond, who held a broken eggshell in his hand. A thick, clear and yellow fluid covered a section of the table一right next to a nearly empty bowl.

Emilia lifted an eyebrow, “You were saying…?”

Silently, Glitch crossed the kitchen to reach Bodie. The teenager tore open a bag of pancake mix and poured the powdery mixture into a large bowl. Bodie took a step back, watching as Glitch brought an egg into his hand. He gently tapped the fragile ingredient on the edge of the bowl. A shallow crack broke through the surface of the egg, allowing his thumbs to carefully pull the shell apart. The egg’s thick and fluid interior fell cleanly into the bowl and left not a single drop on the counter.

“On second thought, maybe you two should do this without me,” Bodie laughed, “I’ll meet you guys at headquarters, then.”

The blond dancer glanced at Emilia. His expression grew stern and serious as he signaled a nod in her direction. Emilia, who immediately understood his intended message, returned his nod.

Wordlessly, Bodie turned away from the kitchen. Glitch had already begun mixing the ingredients together by the time Bodie disappeared from sight. Emilia walked over to the sink and switched on the faucet.

“You know, it’s been a while since you’ve been to headquarters,” Emilia pointed out.

“I know,” Glitch responded with a sigh, “I do miss everybody, but it’s just… Not the same anymore.”

Though, at this point, nothing was the same anymore. He was so used to having Mo by his side everyday, and now it was like a piece of him had gone missing. A piece that he could never recover.

Glitch halted the whisk in his hand. His eyes stared expressionlessly at the thick and pale mixture in the bowl. His fingers clenched around the handle of the whisk until a light tremble wracked his wrist.

“I don’t think I can dance anymore,” Glitch whispered, “I can’t imagine dancing without him. It doesn’t feel… _Right_. I shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy my life when his was cut short.”

Emilia frowned and switched off the sink. She looked over her shoulder at Glitch, who wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. Silently, the brunette stepped away from the sink. She strode across the floor and stopped by Glitch’s side at the kitchen counter.

“I do want to see everyone again,” Glitch continued, “But it’s… I don’t know. Disgraceful, I guess.”

Emilia lifted her hand and placed it on the young boy’s shoulder. Her eyes traveled downward to the half-mixed pancake batter in the bowl, then back to the grief-stricken teenager. Glitch’s eyes had not moved an inch, nor had a single teardrop trailed down his cheeks.

But he wanted to cry, Emilia knew. The way his circular, hazel green eyes twitched back and forth underneath a thin layer of shininess gave it away. And yet, he was trying so hard to fight his tears back. But for what reason?

Though, now was not the time to bring it up, even if Glitch must have had at least a month’s worth of tears stored. It surprised her how long he had been able to hold them back. However, she knew the day would come where he would eventually break.

And right now, that day did not look too far away.

“Wanna go to headquarters together, then?” Emilia asked.

Glitch’s shoulders lifted into a shrug. Though, his lips gave no verbal response to Emilia’s question. The brunette lowered her hand from his shoulder and took a small step away.

“I’ll take you to headquarters after you eat,” Emilia said, “Okay?”

Glitch nodded. His eyes remained in the same spot, staring blankly at the bowl of pancake batter as if it were some hypnosis device.

“Okay,” Glitch responded in a mumble, “Sounds good.”

~

“Glitch? Can we speak with you?”

Glitch had just barely taken three steps into the building before Rasa and Lima stepped up to him. The adults stood before him with worry written all over their faces. They looked at him as if he were an impoverished, homeless kid on the street.

Though, that was not far from what he once had been in his younger days.

At that moment, he wanted to turn around and walk out that door. Maybe coming to headquarters today wasn’t the best idea after all. He knew it had been quite some time since they’ve seen him, but was his absence really that big of a deal?

The thought of bringing worry to the other agents only left a heavy weight on his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was to be a burden to those around him. And yet, here he was, making them worry.

“It will be quick,” Lima added.

Glitch’s gaze traveled back and forth between the two agents. The receptors in his body signaled the psychological reaction of his fight or flight response.

He wanted to flee. However, if he backed out and went home, the fear of the unknown future would only haunt him just like his memories of Mo. He would have to face this matter eventually. If not today, perhaps next time.

So, he had no choice but to fight.

Gulping down every inch of courage he could muster, the young dancer nodded subtly. Rasa and Lima turned away. The adults gestured with their hands for Glitch to follow them, to which he obeyed without a word. As the trio neared the office, a heavy weight sunk deeper and deeper through Glitch’s chest, descending like a lethal grenade ready to corrupt whatever lay before it.

Rasa and Lima led the teenager into a small office and closed the door behind them. Glitch took his seat at the nearest side of the desk while the adults sat down across from him. The anxious teenager folded his arms on top of the desk. His nails scratched across the smooth surface in small strides. He kept his eyes down as his teeth dug into his bottom lip, scraping the top layer of skin off until a salty and metallic taste flooded his tongue.

Warm fingers brushed against his hand. Glitch darted his head upward in alarm, where his eyes were met by Lima’s soft, chestnut eyes. The brunette’s fingers closed in around his hand and brought it towards her. Lima looked down at the young boy’s hand, which trembled violently in her own with his knuckles facing upward. Small patches of dried blood caked over the top of each knuckle. Lima rotated his hand so that his palm faced up towards the ceiling. A row of faded, light red, crescent-like scars lined the flesh of his palm.

Lima frowned and looked up at the boy, who kept his head down to avoid eye contact at all costs. Her thumb gently ran along his still-shaky hand in an attempt to comfort him.

“Glitch,” Lima began, “How have you been feeling lately? Are you okay?”

That question. That damn question. At that moment, Glitch had never felt such hatred towards a combination of words before. He wanted to produce another one of his plastic smiles and tell them he was okay. Place the mask over his face just for this one moment, be done with this conversation, and excuse himself to go home.

But it was no use. He was in too much pain to smile, to lie. It hurt too much to pretend any longer, as much as he hated showing his vulnerability. But he was done. He was tired of putting up a façade.

“I… Sometimes it gets hard to breathe,” Glitch confessed under his breath.

“We understand,” Rasa came in, “It’s okay to feel that way. Everyone here is grieving with you, this is a lot to take in.”

Lima nodded, “But there’s a difference between being upset and…”

Glitch’s chest curled into a tight knot of unease. He knew exactly where this conversation was headed. The urge to get up and walk out that door had never been so hard to resist. However, a faded voice screamed at him to stay put.

“We know this is uncomfortable for you,” Rasa added, “But we heard some… Concerning things from the other dancers.”

“Talk to us, Glitch,” Lima solicited, “We want to help you.”

Glitch’s free hand curled into a fist on top of the desk. He parted his trembling lips in hopes of getting a sound out. However, a thick lump clogged the interior of his throat, blocking the path of his verbal ability.

He wanted to tell them. Really, he did. But how was he to explain his inner turmoil? The raging storm of self-conflict that devastated him on a day to day basis?

The yearning to cease his very existence?

Lima’s request repeated in his subconscious mind over and over like a broken record. The sense of a thousand voices speaking to him at once sent a tingling throb against his skull.

_Talk to us, Glitch._

An icy chill surged through his body as if he were sitting in the middle of an arctic tundra. Another voice demanded him to speak, to tell them the truth already. Though, yet another voice wanted him to keep quiet about his crestfallen state of mind.

_Just say it!_

_No, don’t tell them!_

He feared it would drive him insane if he remained silent any longer. But which voice was he supposed to listen to? There was a war full of fiery destruction wrecking his thoughts, each side doing whatever it took to win. And right now, neither side had met the sweet taste of victory.

Glitch’s teeth grinded against each other in frustration. Finally, he tore his hand out of Lima’s gentle grip. In one swift motion, the teenage dancer jumped to his feet. His hands clamped flat onto the desk while his head remained tilted downwards. Glitch curled his trembling fingers inward ever so slightly, digging his nails into the solid wood underneath them. The tips of his fingers grew white from the immense strength he put into them.

“Can we have this conversation another time?” Glitch asked with a tremor in his voice.

If there would be another time, that is.

Rasa and Lima’s faces fell. The adults simultaneously turned their heads to look at each other. However, before either of them could utter a single word, Glitch turned away from the desk. He jogged towards the exit and pulled the door open. Wordlessly, the overburdened teenager stepped outside the room and shut the door behind him.


End file.
